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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28891251">Crossfire Of The Gods</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jhorneo/pseuds/Jhorneo'>Jhorneo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dream SMP - Fandom, Mianite - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dream Smp, Fantasy, Minecraft, Realm of Mianite, The Author Regrets Everything, l'manberg</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 09:07:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,641</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28891251</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jhorneo/pseuds/Jhorneo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After a particularly bloody and deadly split, the lands of Dreameria and L’manberg have reached an unsteady peace. Though, that does not save the citizens of L’manberg from their own inner conflicts. A growing religious unrest threatens to tear the fledgling kingdom apart at the newly sewn seams. The Church Of Mianite and the Cult Of Dianite are at odds, fighting for control of the government and the people. A third religious group, the scattered Ianite devotees, consider themselves the only people capable of bringing the conflict to an end, peacefully.</p><p>Will L’manberg be able to pull themselves together or will the helpless citizens die in the crossfire of the Gods?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Keep The Balance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey y'all, I'm writing this because I'm bored and I think the Dream SMP people are neat. I'm not super well-versed in Dream SMP lore, so this fic is based on the limited knowledge I have of the fictional characters that the content creators are playing. Same goes for the Mianite people. This is mostly a Dream Smp fic, in a Mianite world, so it's mostly Dream SMP with a few Mianite characters.</p><p>Please don't take this too seriously and don't fight with people about this stupid fic I'm writing.</p><p>I also won't include every SMP character, because there are a lot, so I've narrowed the list down for the ease of storytelling.</p><p>(BTW, I'm pretty stupid, so please feel free to point out errors.)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Toby watched uneasily out of the corner of his eyes while the others prayed. His hands were folded like everyone else’s, but his eyes were not closed and he was not chanting. The Church was never his place, which made him a bit of a black sheep in his “family”.</p><p>Toby’s birth-family didn’t survive the war, leaving him orphaned in the newly-seceded kingdom of L’manberg. It wasn’t long until he found a family of similarly lonely people. Tommy, Wilbur, Niki, and Phil made up his found-family in L’manberg, and they were amazing.</p><p>The only problem is that they were tightly embroiled in the inner-workings of the Church Of Mianite. It all started with Wilbur, Toby’s “older brother”, becoming a priest for the church. Phil, the “dad” of the group followed suit. Niki and Tommy became obsessed with the church and the teachings of Mianite as well. That left Toby, who wasn’t entirely convinced.</p><p>“May we walk forward into the light and usher in a new era of peace and love,” Wilbur said, voice ripe with regard. Toby always believed that Wilbur had a way with words, and was even partially convinced that Wilbur had magic of some sort. </p><p>Like charm-speak or something.</p><p>Tommy always told him that was foolish. <em> "Don't be silly. Only the Gods have magic, Toby." </em></p><p>
  <em> "But couldn't the Gods give someone magic? They can do anything." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Nonsense." </em>
</p><p>Even then, in that church that morning, Toby felt drawn to Wilbur's words.</p><p>"Thank you all for coming today and bathing in Mianite's light with us. Have a blessed day." He stepped down from the pulpit and the underlings along the side of the church pulled the large ropes attached to the massive windows. Large wooden covers snapped shut, cutting off access to Mianite's light.</p><p>The church was a massive building, filled with rows and rows of pews, all directly under a large stained-glass window depicting Mianite himself.</p><p>Mianite's followers believed that Mianite was the sun and light itself, so sunlight passing through an image of Mianite was the purest form of healing that one could get.</p><p>"Blessed day." The church-goers all spoke in unison, before erupting into casual conversation. A cacophony of disjointed voices, creating one large mass of incomprehensible noise.</p><p>"It was a good service, wasn't it?" Niki asked, excitedly. Niki, who was older than Toby and Tommy, but younger than Wilbur was seemingly the most Mianitian of them all. "I feel new, reborn, and refreshed!"</p><p>"It was amazing." Tommy agreed.</p><p>"Yeah... It was great." Toby said, hoping that his lies weren't too obvious. He'd already voiced his concerns about Mianite before but was struck down quickly.</p><p><em> "What alternative do you have? Are you saying you wish to be evil? If not Mianite, then what? Dianite?" </em> Wilbur had questioned, accusingly.</p><p>
  <em> "No, of course not." </em>
</p><p>
  <em> "Then what, Toby?" </em>
</p><p>-----------------------------------------------</p><p>They all wandered the markets, searching for something to do. Wilbur and Phil took the lead, Niki close behind, and Tommy and Toby took the rear.</p><p>Random citizens and shopkeepers would praise Wilbur and Phil for many reasons. Most recognized them as the priests at the Church, but others remembered the work they put into gaining freedom from Dreameria.</p><p>Wilbur, from a very young age, acted as a revolutionary. He was always at odds with Dream and was the one that started the revolutionary fight for secession from the kingdom of Dreameria. He was lauded as the father of freedom and the true ruler of L'manberg.</p><p>Phil was the first general to betray Dream and fight alongside L'manberg. He drew much-needed soldiers to the fray and helped turn the tide of the war.</p><p>They were both war heroes, through and through, and their popularity only skyrocketed when they spread the word of Mianite throughout the city.</p><p>"Thank you, Phil! Thank you!" One woman screamed.</p><p>"WILBUR! WILBUR!" A particularly excited woman joined in the screaming.</p><p>Toby felt awkward being in that group. He didn't feel like he belonged. He wasn't a true follower of Mianite and he wasn't a war hero either. He had been two when the war started, like Tommy, and remembered nothing of it.</p><p>All he remembered was the carnage it left behind and the permanent toll it took on his family.</p><p>A crowd of very devout followers started to swarm all of them and Toby took that as an opportunity to slip away. The large crowds always stressed him out, for multiple reasons.</p><p>Toby, now free from the crowd and the pressures of his "family", found himself near the port. Saltwater mist tickled his nose as he looked around at the ships docked in the harbor.</p><p>"You lost?" A louder, strangely chipper voice called out. Toby's head shot in its direction and he saw a man swinging down from a nearby ship.</p><p>It was a massive ship, the largest in the port, which is probably why the man looked short. But as the man approached, Toby realized that the man was just short in general.</p><p>"Oh, no, just wandering," Toby assured the man.</p><p>"Wandering is what lost people do." The man extended a hand in Toby's direction. "I'm Captain Jordan."</p><p>"Toby Smith." Toby greeted the captain back. "You're a real captain?"</p><p>"Yeah, that's my ship." He pointed back to the ship. "She's called the S.S. Jerry." The man, Jordan, informed Toby.</p><p>It was an impressive ship, the largest on the port by far. Toby stared in awe at the gold and purple details on the ship. The wood was polished to perfection. The masts stood tall.</p><p>A beautifully sewn symbol was emblazoned on the sails. It was a set of scales with a dragon snaking around the center pillar.</p><p>The figurehead was the front half of a dragon and a woman riding its back. Large wings spouted from the wooden dragon's back. Toby found the woman breathtaking, in her appearance and the skill in which she was carved.</p><p>"Don't the wings mess with- uh... aerodynamics of the ship?" Toby questioned.</p><p>"No, of course not, she's the fastest ship in the sea. But there are whispers that if the wind catches 'er right she'll fly, but it's all nonsense." The captain said.</p><p>"Who's the woman?" Toby asked.</p><p>"Oh... Really?" His voice grew higher with shock. "You don't know our Lady Ianite?"</p><p>Toby was taken aback. "I know Mianite and Dianite? Who's Ianite?"</p><p>"She's the long-lost sister." He said with a smile. "If Mianite is light and order and Dianite is darkness and chaos, then Ianite is balance and unity. That's why her symbol is the scales." He gestured back to the sails.</p><p>"Why the dragon?" Toby asked, beginning to feel self-conscious about the number of questions he was asking. He was just intensely curious about this new God. He's been hearing the teachings of Mianite for years, but they'd never mentioned this enigmatic sister.</p><p>"The dragon is the protector of Ianaria." The Captain explained. "Ianaria is the domain that Ianite rules over." He began to walk back to the ship and Toby followed. "Every God rules over a domain of existence. Mianite rules over this one we exist in, the Overworld. Dianite rules over the Nether."</p><p>Toby had only her whispers and rumblings of "The Nether" and that had been enough for him. It seemed like a terrible place, for terrible people.</p><p>"And Lady Ianite rules over the End."</p><p>"What's the End like?" Toby continued his questioning, letting curiosity get the best of him.</p><p>"I don't know. I've never been. Ianite is a very solitary Goddess, she does her work in the background." He said, beginning to climb up a ladder back onto his ship. "You can come on up if you want." He offered, but Toby stepped back.</p><p>"Oh, I should really be returning to my family."</p><p>"Whatever you say, Toby Smith. I'll be docked in L'manberg for a while if you ever wanna talk about our Lady Ianite. Go on now and keep the balance." Captain Jordan disappeared onto the deck of the ship and Toby was left alone on the wooden dock.</p><p>The way the captain said "<em> our </em> Lady Ianite", like Ianite was for everyone caught Toby off guard.</p><p>He'd learned that Gods selected their followers. He'd learned that people were born either Mianite or Dianite. He'd learned that the world was black and white and that he was firmly in the white.</p><p>The fact that the captain was a follower of a third, unknown god rattled Toby's system and he was unsure of how to react.</p><p>So he simply turned on his heels and searched the city to return to his family.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Obsidian Heart</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span> Alexis still wasn't used to the fire and blood. The Dianite rituals happened once a week to keep the portals between the Overworld and the Nether open. Dianite was a punishing god. Very needy, Alexis had observed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Q, bring the dagger." The loud and demanding voice of Justiciar Schlatt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Q" was Alexis' nickname in the cult. They never agreed on the name and no one really knew where the name came from, but it was randomly said by a cult member and then was silently agreed upon by everyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Yes, sir." Alexis unsheathed the dagger from the holster strapped to his belt and held it out to Schlatt. Alexis handled it delicately, feeling it pulse with power in his grip.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Schlatt grabbed it and held it up. All eyes followed it. Alexis could swear it glowed red in Schlatt's hands.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> It was a very demonic image. A tall man, with a glowing red dagger, and horns sprouting from his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> The cult of Dianitians followed every movement of the blade as it was swung through the air and plunged into the pig. The poorly thing let out one squeal before it succumbed to the dark embrace of death.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>At least it didn't suffer, like the last one.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Alexis thought as the pig was kicked into the lava below. The moment that the carcass struck the glowing liquid the Nether seemed to growl with approval. The portal erupted with life and Justiciar Schlatt stepped through, disappearing into the Overworld.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alexis was the second to pass through the portal. The sweltering, dry heat of the Nether was replaced by the humid warmth of the Overworld city, L'manberg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Schlatt handed the dagger back to Alexis while the other cultists in their party piled out of the portal. "That was a successful prayer, wasn't it?" Schlatt asked once most of the cultists had returned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Yes sir." They said in an exhausted unison.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> When the Mianitians prayed, they just opened their sunroof and bathed in the light while chanting. But Dianite was different. Dianite ruled over another land, the eternally burning land of the Nether.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Cultists had to travel into the Nether, visit the shrine, pray, and then return to their home in the Overworld at least once a week. It was an exhausting ordeal, made worse by the glowing, orange lava that plagued their journey every time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> To make it even EVEN worse, every use of the portal required a blood sacrifice. One sacrifice to get into the Nether and one to get out. The cult slaughtered at least a thousand farm animals a year.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Behind them the portal flickered off, nearly cutting a man in half.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "The portal's lifespan is shorter and shorter every time. Dianite is growing bored of pigs." Schlatt noted. He handed the dagger back to Alexis and started to walk down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Maybe we could move on to cows soon," Alexis suggested, returning the dagger to its rightful place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Maybe," Schlatt responded. Alexis senses something sinister in that "</span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe".</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Justiciar, Molando did not make it through the portal in time." A voice called out. Schlatt continued as if nothing was said, which meant Alexis was forced to follow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Justiciar Schlatt! Molando is still in the Nether!" The man yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> That made Schlatt stop in his tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Damn it... </span>
  </em>
  <span>Alexis thought to himself. Schlatt was not very good at controlling his emotions. Alexis had seen the Justiciar go off on people before and it was never pretty.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Schlatt turned and stared down the hallway. The cultists jumped aside, avoiding his gaze. The lone cultist standing in the center of the hallway was Lyrell, a junior cultist, new to the group. He'd been the one that yelled at Schlatt and Alexis was forced to assume that he would also be dead in just a few moments.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "If Dianite believes that Molanda is worthy of living, then he will survive. If not... then that is not our problem. We are not a brotherhood, Lyrell, we are worshippers." His voice was measured and calm, but steeped with sinister disinterest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The silence was thick and heavy on Alexis' shoulders. It pressed against his lungs making it hard to breathe. He hoped and prayed that something would happen. Anything to break the silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Eret, escort Lyrell to the pig pens. He's on cleaning duty for two days."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> And with that, Schlatt turned and continued down the hallway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alexis took the dagger and its intricately crafted holster from his belt and delicately placed it in the display case above the hearth. The dagger, black as night, pulled light from the air around it. It was intoxicatingly beautiful in its pure darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alexis had been told that the blade was crafted by Dianite himself from a chunk of his obsidian heart. The dagger's holster was a dark, brown metal that was itself crafted to recharge the dagger's abilities, whatever those were.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The holster had beautiful filigree designs inlaid in the stone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The holster and the dagger were both opposite in their design. The dagger was black, simple, and effective. The holster was artistic, intricate, and showy. That clash was perfect for the god of chaos.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Beautiful, isn't it?" Eret's voice shook Alexis away from his thoughts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, yes. Of course." Alexis replied, stepped away from the display case.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Eret was a senior cult member, like Alexis, but not quite as high up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Everyone considered Alexis Schlatt's left-hand man, making Eret Schlatt's right-hand man... and Schlatt was left-handed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "What do you know about it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "The dagger?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Yes, Q., the dagger."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Well... The dagger itself is obsidian. The holster is netherite. It was made by Dianite in the ancient times to aid in his war against Mianite. It has powers, but Schlatt never told me what the powers were." Alex explained, taking a seat on one of the nearby dining room chairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "He hasn't?" Eret asked, sitting across from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "No. Do you know what it does?" Alexis asked, hoping that Eret didn't. Alexis would be upset if Schlatt didn't trust him enough to tell him the truth of the dagger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, I do. I've known Schlatt for a long time. I'm like a brother to him. That dagger has gotten him through a lot. It can cut through lives." He explained, admiring the weapon from afar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "What does that mean?" Alexis didn't want to look confused, but he had no choice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Everyone is born with three lives..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I know that!" Alexis snapped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "If that dagger kills someone that still has every life remaining, it will kill them all the way," Eret said, through a smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alexis didn't know how to react. He just stared in awe at the blade, now under a different context. It was an impossible weapon... unbelievable and... game-changing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "That can't be real."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "It's real. You ever wonder why Schlatt has those horns? That blade is made of parts of Dianite, so the magic infused inside it is purely Dinaitian. It can infuse itself in people. Schlatt has the essence of Dianite inside him." Eret explained, pulling himself out of the chair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Alexis stood up with him. "How am I supposed to react to that? How long have you known?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> But Eret had already left the room.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Go Ring The Bells</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span> Niki took Toby's absence as an excuse to leave. She told the dinner table that she wanted to go out and look for him, which was only half true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She had another reason. She had a secret.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> It was the kind of secret that would get her shunned from the church.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The secret's name was Elaria.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Elaria was not a member of the church, and relationships outside the church were bad.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You're either with us or against us."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Wilbur always said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Elaria wasn't a part of the cult either, but that didn't change anything. She wasn't a child of the light and that meant Niki couldn't see her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> However, words and religion and especially men would not stop her. The only thing capable of stopping her would be Mianite himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She stepped out of the doors of the church and hopped down the steps onto the rough, stone road. L'manberg had been Niki's home for 13 years, she'd watched the city be built around her, so she knew the roads like the lines on her palms. The sunset illuminated her path as she trekked to the very familiar market district.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She was usually dressed in her church clothes, but she wore her best dressed instead. It was off-white and ended just below the knees, with laces along the back and long, flowy sleeves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She was barefoot like she always liked to be. Feeling Mianite's domain beneath her feet was always healing for her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> Mianite was the God of the Overworld and also ruled over creation, so Niki chose to worship him by having a close connection with his Earth. Her room had plants on every window and every table. There were goldvines, valtia trees, and mianera plants spread across nearly every inch of her bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Plantlife was a major factor in Niki's life and that was one of the reasons she always told Elaria to meet her under the tree in the center of town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The tree (often called L'mantree by the local kids) was planted firmly in the center of town and acted as a symbol of L'manberg freedom. After the horrible battle for freedom from Dreameria that left the lands torn and desolate, that tree, small but sturdy oak, was the only thing left standing in the rubble. Wilbur decided to symbolically build their new free city around that tree, to symbolize L'manberg's perseverance and stability.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Good evening, Niki." One of the local women called out to her. The woman was watering her garden, so Niki decided to stop by and chat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Good evening, Ms. Abernathy. How's the garden been? Any good harvests?" Niki asked, looking down at an admittedly bad sight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> It looked like Ms. Abernathy's garden was far past the point that a simple watering could fix.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The garden, once a flourishing array of blues, yellows, and purples, had become just yellow and brown. Flowers that were once soft and beautiful had wilted into hard, brittle things. The cabbages were brown and mushy, creating a pile of mush on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "It's in a sorry state, isn't it? I don't know what I did wrong." Ms. Abernathy, a quiet old woman, set her watering can aside and leaned on the fence, staring down at her ruined garden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Can I look at it closer?" Niki asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, of course."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Niki pushed the gate open and stepped onto the woman's property. She got low to the ground and investigated the leaves and flower petals.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Have you been watering them every day?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Of course I have." The woman said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Are you sure? These plants are dehydrated, extremely so." She brushed a few plants aside, delicately, and placed her hand on the dirt beneath. "This dirt is dry as a bone. Practically sand." She dug up a handful and it slipped between her fingers onto the ground below.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>watering when you came by." The woman reminded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She was right, of course. But that made the situation even more confusing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Can you hand me the water?" Niki asked, still inspecting the dirt. She held out her hand and the metal can appeared in her grip. The entire contents of the can be emptied onto the ground and Niki watched as the dirt turned brown with moisture.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> But then, as if being sucked down from below, the water disappeared, leaving the top-most layer as dry as sand again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "What the Nether?" Niki muttered, receiving a small gasp from Ms. Abernathy. "I'm sorry... I'm just... Lost."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She set the watering can down and started to dig at the dirt she had just watered. The dryness of the dirt made it easy to throw aside, so finding the source of the strangeness was easy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Her hands reached a strange, spongy object. She yanked on it, but it didn't budge. She dug up more dirt and finally revealed what she had found. It was thick, red, and glistening with moisture. It was root-like and continued on through the ground, unseen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Do you have a knife of some sort?" Niki asked, backing away from the mysterious thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I have shears."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "That will work."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Ms. Abernathy hurried away and Niki started to dig up more of the red root.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Niki?" A voice said from the other side of the gate. Niki looked up to find the source of the voice and was greeted by Toby. "What are you doing here? And what is that?" He was peering over the gate into the hole she had dug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I was out looking for you and then I ran into Ms. Abernathy. As for this that..." She nodded down at the red mystery. "I don't know."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Ms. Abernathy returned with the sheers and dropped them next to Niki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Hi." Toby greeted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, good evening Toby."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Niki grabbed the sheers and quickly cut the root in half. She picked the newly-cut end up and inspected it closer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The texture was both slimy and rough. There were bumps and divots across the surface. It was dripping, presumably with all the water it had sucked up from Ms. Abernathy's garden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Suddenly, as if they'd appeared from thin air, vine-like tendrils erupted from it, reaching through the air like worms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Niki threw it across the garden.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> She recognized it as soon as those things came out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Toby..." She muttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He was momentarily too scared to respond, but finally, let out a "What?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Go back home and get Wilbur..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Niki knew it already, but Wilbur showed up and confirmed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Nether Wart," he said, and everyone shuttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "The Nether Wart in the city was eradicated when the building process started," Phil interjected.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "We did. Someone must've replanted a seed." Toby suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Well, who would do that? And who </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> do that?" Tommy asked, gripping the dagger at his side, knuckles white and fingertips fuming.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Dianitians," Wilbur said, firmly, and it hung in the air like a body.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Dangerous. Horrifying. Morbid. But still intriguing. Undeniable.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "They'll pay!" Tommy yelled, unsheathing his dagger and charging away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Where do you think you're going?" Wilbur snapped. Tommy stopped in his tracks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Niki always thought that Tommy was too impulsive for his own good and it was moments like that constantly proving it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "They need to pay."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "And how do you propose we go about doing that?" Wilbur asked. "Do you think charging in with your butter knife is going to stop them?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He was doing it. Niki had seen it a few times before, but never that close and personal. Wilbur was charm-speaking.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Put the blade away. The last thing we need is you hurting yourself."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy slowly put the dagger back in its sheath.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "If this is truly the work of the Dianitians then we will be going up against at least half of the kingdom of L'manberg. That damned cult has a blood grip on more people in this kingdom than you think. Chaos and darkness are very enticing ideas to the newly freed."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Everyone was hanging on to every word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Planting that Nether Wart, wherever it is, was part of a long-game plan. Nether Wart takes a long time to grow. That root you found, Niki, has been growing there for a while. They want to meticulously and carefully win this war. Moves and counter-moves. We need to think and plan, just like they have." Wilbur looked around at each of them, individually. "We fought for the freedom of L'manberg with Lord Mianite on our side. Where was Dianite? Probably plotting our ultimate downfall. To be Dianitian is to be against the safety of L'manberg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "L'manberg is Mianite's land. We will not let them put a chokehold on this kingdom. We start tonight. We need to gather our followers at the church tonight and pray. Phil, Tommy, Toby, I need you three to go ring the bells." Wilbur demanded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Phil and Tommy jumped into action, but Toby stayed behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "What is it, Toby?" Wilbur asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Um..." He stuttered, unsure of what to say. Niki was concerned by that. He was usually very confident. "What about Ianite?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "What?" Niki said, instinctually.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "How do you know about Ianite?" Wilbur questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "A man- a captain- on the port told me about her. She's Mianite and Dianite's sister. She's the goddess of balance. Maybe her and her followers could help." He suggested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "No. Ianite is a dead goddess and a Dianite sympathizer at that. She will be of no help." Wilbur shot him down. Niki sensed that Wilbur was holding his tongue and she could see him clench his fists in his pockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Sorry, Will." Toby looked down at the ground, feeling defeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Go ring the bells, Toby. And I don't want to ever hear about you seeking religious lessons from strangers again, let alone followers of a dead god."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Elaria!" Niki yelled down the street. Through the branches of L'mantree, she could see Elaria walking away. "Elaria, wait!" She was running down the road, ignoring the pain on her bare feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Elaria swung around when she heard it, and Niki saw her fiery red hair flashing between the leaves. "Niki!" She screamed and ran back to the tree. "I heard the bells and assumed you'd be at the church."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I should be, but I couldn't miss this time with you," Niki assured her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Elaria was the daughter of a local merchant. She lived by the shore and her father caught and sold fish at the markets. Niki had met them when she was out exploring Mianite's land. They had immigrated from a far off land after the secession of L'manberg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Why are they holding a service so late today?" Elaria asked, worming her hands into Niki's, who accepted them lovingly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I found Nether Wart in Ms. Abernathy's yard."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Nether Wart? Really?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Yeah, but... I don't want to talk about it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Okay. That's fine. Let's go have dinner."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "That would be nice."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Center Of The Scourge</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span> Tommy hated the Dianitians, even more than he hated Dreameria and their Triarchy. L'manberg was the only home he'd ever known. He was a child of the revolutions. And he would not sit idly by and let Dianite and his pathetic cronies destroy his home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He was dedicated to Mianite in every conceivable way. He went to church every morning, he studied the words over Mianite every night, and he strived to fill Wilburs position in the clergy. Or Phil's at least.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy wanted to stand at the front of the chapel, guiding the citizens down the road to light. He knew the words of the First Text by heart. He'd studied them. Read them forward and back.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only light can expel the dark.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> He recited the words in his head later that night, after the meeting in the church to address the Nether Wart problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The Mianitians made plans to begin mapping the Nether Wart in the city, in hopes of finding the center of the growth. Couriers would go out asking about people's gardens, collecting reports of corruption, and reporting back to the church. Wilbur would mark every case of a Nether Wart root and its direction onto his map, and attempt to triangulate the center of the scourge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The church had enough information to act, only then would it act.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Order is patience. Only chaos can come from quick-thinking.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy knew that to be Wilbur's favorite line from the First Text. Wilbur quoted it as much as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy's favorite quote was "</span>
  <em>
    <span>All that dwell in the dark will burn in the light."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "Toby, what's your favorite line from the First Text?" Tommy asked, getting ready for bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, I haven't read the First Text." He responded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "What?" Tommy asked, practically offended at the motion. "It's the sacred text, written by Mianite himself. How have you not read it?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I'm dyslexic, Tommy." He reminded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh yeah... awkward... Sorry..." He quickly changed the subject. "Hey, what did Wilbur talk to you about after the meeting?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Oh, nothing." Toby dismissed the question off-handedly, but Tommy knew Toby like no other. He was hiding something.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Did Wilbur give you a special mission?" Tommy interrogated, sitting down on his bed, which was directly across from Toby's. The only thing separating them was a table with a single glowing candle atop it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "No, he didn't. Goodnight." Toby said, quickly moving to blow the candle out. Tommy threw his hand out between Toby and the flame, stopping from blowing the light out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "He did, didn't he?" Tommy tried not to let his anger show. Tommy always wanted to be Wilbur's right-hand man. He always asked what he could do to help. He always tried to go above and beyond the call of duty.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But Toby does nothing and seemed generally uninterested in everything related to Mianite, and Wilbur feels the need to give him special treatment.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> "No, he didn't, Tommy. Now blow the damn candle out and get to bed." Toby demanded, slapping Tommy's hand away and blowing the flame out of existence, plunging the room into darkness. But the dark would not stop Tommy. It never had.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Why would he pick you? Why not me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Stop asking questions, Tommy. Please." Toby's voice had a bite to it, one Tommy was not used to hearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Stop lying to me." Tommy countered, hoping his frustration was coming across in the darkness.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Tommy, go to bed. I'll tell you in the morning." He was stern and demanding, but Tommy couldn't entirely sense if it was from anger or stress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "You can't tell me what to do."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Yes, I can. I'm older than you." Toby shot back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "ONLY BY FOUR MONTHS!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Mianite doesn't want you to know." Toby hissed. It forced Tommy to pause, almost choking on his words.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Wh- Wha- What? What are you talking about?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Mianite told Wilbur that he doesn't want anyone to know, so you can't know. We can't tell you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy was unsure how to feel. He was shocked. He wanted to question it, but if he did then he ran the risk of questioning his God.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "Fine..."</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Sleep always came quickly to Tommy, but not that night. He sat and stared at the ceiling, barely illuminated by the moonlight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> False light... Only a reflection of Mianite's light.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He could hear Toby's breathing, irregular and calculated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Neither of the boys was sleeping, just waiting each other out. They just sat, silent, waiting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy recited Mianite's words in his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>All that dwell in the dark will burn in the light.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Order is patience. Only chaos can come from quick-thinking.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only light can expel the dark.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only light ca...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Only li...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span> Only...</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
  <span> Sleep dug it's finger into him, dragging him into a horrible nightmare.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>-----------------------------------------------</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He snapped his eyes open, desperately kicking the Nether Wart off of him. The tendrils had wrapped across his body and burrowed into his skin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> They snaked along his body, tearing away flesh, and taking his body hostage.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He let out a scream, flying off of the bed, and landed hard on the ground. Bathed in moonlight, he looked down at himself and saw nothing but himself. No Nether Wart. No wounds. No tendrils.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> "I'm sorry about that Toby... Just a nightmare..." Tommy said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> ...</span>
</p><p>
  <span> ...</span>
</p><p>
  <span> No response.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He couldn't have slept through those ungodly yells. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tommy thought to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He stood up and looked down at Toby's bed, the sheet tossed aside and Toby nowhere to be seen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span> The moonlight must've been playing tricks on him. Tommy found the flint and steel on the table and relit the candle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The moonlight had shown him the truth after all. Toby was not in bed. Tommy turned to the door and immediately noticed it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Toby's necklace was gone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Each of them had a necklace. Tommy's hung on the right side of the door and Toby's hung on the left. They would always put them on before leaving the house, but they grew out of it a few years earlier.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> But Toby had taken his with him that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy quickly looked at his own necklace and saw the small needle of the compass moving ever so slightly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The necklaces were built from "lodestone", a strange material with magical properties. Since the necklaces were forged from the same lodestone, the compasses on them would always point to each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy didn't think for a second before ripping the necklace off the hook, throwing it on, and rushing outside. One hand held up the candle and the other held out the compass. The needle was facing almost directly West.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He must be on the beach.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> During the years Toby and Tommy were children, barely ten or eleven, and L'manberg was being built around them, they would sit on the beach along the western coast and watch the sunset.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe he wants to watch the sunrise.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span> Tommy continued down the roads toward the beach he'd grown up on. If he remembered correctly it was where he and Toby officially met.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> The roads led him to sand and an empty beach. He stared into the horizon and at the great, open sea... where the compass was pointing.</span>
</p><p>Toby was directly West, somewhere in the middle of the Rhaenyra Sea.</p>
  </div></div>
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